Sheet-adjusting device for mechanical musical instruments.



P. G. LYNDB. SBEBT ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.APPLICATION FILED D3015, 1910.

1,008,92'5, Patented NOS/114,1911.

FRANK G. LYNDE, OF NEW YQIRK, N. Y.

SHEET-ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR MECHANICAL IvIUSICAL IlQ'STItUItiEfTFi.

Specification of Letters Eatent. Patantgrgfi New], 1911f Applicationfiled 'December 15, 1310. Serial No. 597,511.

To all whom it may concern; v

Be it known that I, FRANK G. LYNDE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Manhattan of the city of New York, in theState of few York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSheet-Adjusting Devices for Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, forming a part hereof.

This invention has for its object to provide improved devices foreffecting lateral adjustment of the perforated music sheet of amechanical musical instrument to preserve the registry of itsperforations with the I ducts of the tracker board. One purpose in viewis to make the sheet adjusting devices very sensitive, so that they willrespond quickly to very slight shifts of the music sheet out of properposition; another purpose is to reduce to a minimum the wear upon theedge of the music sheet in the operation of the sheet adjusting devices;and another purpose is to permit the music sheet to be freed fromcontact with the sheet adjusting devices during the rewind.

The invention will be more fully eX- plained hereinafter with referenceto the accompanying drawing in which it is illustrated and in which IFigure l is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing somuch of the tracker box of a pneumatic piano player as is necessary toenable the application of the invention to be understood. Fig. 2 is adetail view on a larger scale of a portion of the devices shown in Fig.1.

The perforated music sheet a, arranged to cooperate in the usual mannerwith the.

tracker board 6, is wound upon a spool c which is mounted in the frame0? of the tracker box in such manner as to be capable of adjustmentlaterally with respect to the music sheet, that is, longitudinally withre spectto the axis of the roll itself. From the spool or roll 0 themusic sheet passes to the winding-on roll 6 which is also mounted in theframe (Z of the tracker box but is not necessarily capable of lateraladjustment. The two rolls are driven, in the wind and in the rewind, byany usual or suitable mechanisrn which need not be particularlydescribed or explained herein. One end of the roll 0 is mounted in ayielding, spring box f of usual construction, by which the roll 0 portsm and m".

is pressed normai'ly' in one direction, but is permitted to yield whenpressed in theoppc site direction. At the other end the roll (I issupported by a driving shaft 9 which is capable of limited longitudinalmovement in its bearing and may be moved, to effect, in cooperation withthe spring bearing box f, the required lateral movement of the musicsheet to correct its alinement with respect to the tracker board 7). Anyusual or suitable means for effecting the required longitudinalmovementof the shaft 9 may be employed.

As shown in the drawing a swivele-d box 9 on the end of the sh aft 9supports aroller g which bears against a vertically movable can] it. Thelatter is mounted upon or formed with a rod h which is guided in asuitable hearing if at its upper end and at its lower end is connectedto a double piston if, h. The latter is arranged in a cylinder i whichis provided in its middle portion, between the two pistons 725, h ithone or more openings i so that the proximate faces of the pistons 71?,if", are subject alike to atmospheric pressure and the piston istherefore balanced normally. The end chambers 2' and 2' of the cylinder2', however, are separately connected with the vacuum system of theplayer, which is suiiicient-iyrepresented by the pipe 70, throughsuitable pipe connections i 2' and controlling pneumaties 2'", i, whichare of usual construction. The pneumatics 2' and i are controlled, so asto efiect the connection of one end 2' or the other end i ofthe cylinderwith the vacuum system,

by devices actuated by the displacement of p the edge of the musicsheet, so that the slightest disalinementofthe music sheet produces acorrecting'movement of the roll c through movement of the cam h in onedirection or the other. ----For this purpose, each of the pneumatics iand 2', is connected. by a tube m, m with a small cylinder m which issupported in convenient proximity to one edge of the-music sheet a. The.cyl! inder m is open to'atmospheric pressure at one end, as at m, andis closed at the other end, as at m", the chamber m at the'closed end othe cylinder being connected with the vacuum system, which issufficiently indicated by the pipe at". The cylinder is also providedwith somewha'twidely separated placed a double piston vaive a, n, thetwo parts of-wlneh are separated by an annuiar 15151318 cylinder at is lrecess n which is slightly narrower than the distance between the twoports. m and m of the cylinder, so that when the piston valve is 1nnormal'or middle position both ports are closed. The connections m and:

m above referred to, are also connected into the wall of the cylinder m,preferably in line, respectively, with the ports at and, n. The pistonvalve is connected by a stem 91 witha plate ofiietector n againstwhichthe edge of the music sheet bears. The-plate a may also be providedwith an indicating finger n to show when the detector and the .valve arein middle position.

It will now be seen'that when the music sheet a is displaced, forexample, to the right, the port m and the connection m will be uncoveredby the valve head at and air under atmospheric pressure. will beadmitted to the pneumatic i which will establish connection between thepipe '3 and the vacuum pipe is; This will cause the double piston b 3 72to be pulled down and the cam [twill therefore press the spool c to theleft, against the pressure of the spring box f, thereby correcting thealineme1 1t. Similarly if the music sheet is displaced to the left, thecain will be caused to move upward and thefspring box f will then be/free to move the roll to the right to correct the alinement; Thedetector a is made to follow the edge of the music sheet and is heldagainst the same with a light pressure,

v through the connection of the pipe m to some part of the vacuum systemin which the vacuum is low,"- and in which, by usual "and; suitabledevices not necessary to be mechanism having a longitudinally movableshaft forthe music roll, of a pneumatic device to shift the music roll,separate connecshownherein, the vacuum is destroyed during the rewind.The pressure of the detector against the edge'of the sheet is thereforevery light during, use and may be removed entirely, if desired, duringthe rewind, so

'- that the wear on the edge of the music sheet is very slight.

' For adjustment of the 'detector-tosuit different conditions, thecylinder m is supported upon a screw 0' which is suitably mounted in theframe d of the tracker box and is provided with an adjusting head 0.

It will be understood that various changes in details of constructionand arrangement may be made to suit different conditions of use and thatthe invention, therefore, is notlimited' to the particular constructionand arrangement shown and described herein.

I claimas my invention:

1. The combination with a tracker box mechanism having a longitudinallymovable Lneaeve shaft for the music roll, of a cylinder connected ateach end to thevacuum system and.-open to the atmosphere in its middleportion, a double piston in said cylinder, means actuated thereby toshift the music roll, neumatics to control the connection of thecylinder ends with' the vacuum system and devices actuated by theshifting of the ,music sheet to control said neumatics.

2. The combination with a tracker box mechanism having alongitudinallymovable shaft for the music roll, of a pneumatic device to shift themusic roll, pneumatics to control the connection of said device with thevacuum system, a valve cylinder supported adjacent to the edge of themusic sheet, connections therefrom to said pneu-' matics, a valve pistonin said cylinder, and a detector connected with said piston and (adaptedto be shifted by the displacement ,of the edge of the music sheet.

3. The combination with a tracker box whereby the detector is pressedtoward the edge of the music sheet.

4. he combination with a tracker box tions from the vacuum system tosaid pneumatic device to actuate the same in opposite directions,separate pneumatics to control said connections, a valve cylindersupported adjacent to the edge of the music sheet and having separatedair ports, separate connections from said cylinder to said neumatics, adouble valve piston in said cylinder to control the connections to saidpneumatics, and a detector connected with said piston and adapted to beshifted by the displacement of the edge of the music sheet.

This specification signed and witnessed this 14th day of December, A. D.1910.

FRANK G. LYN DE. Signed in the presence of- AMBRosn L. OSHJ lA,

' ELLA J. KRUGER.

